Princess Of The White Rose
by Kitahoshi
Summary: Sequel to Queen Of Hearts , for all of you that have been waiting!
1. The Funeral

William Winner , a wealthy , powerful and kind man. Why did such a test be put upon such a sweet man? And what of his daughter? Why did she have to go through such a loss? She was only seven years old.  
  
The news is all over television as the world pays their respects to the second in line heir to the peacecraft throne. She had been crowned princess only a few years earlier about when she got married to the new second heir prince , prince William. (a/n: cheezy , I know , but that's his name!!!)  
  
Her parents stand beside the coffin , and the Queen cannot bear to look at the face of her child , still so young and fair. King Heero stands , with the icy face that no one else can muster and looks down at her pale face , her eyes closed and her mouth curled into a tiny smile as if at peace. What happened to Princess Ruth? Her husband and daughter know. Her daughter has not spoken a word since her death. She is silent and keeps a cold face upfront , even though she can feel the warm tears rolling down her face from sapphire blue eyes. Prince William looks down at his daughter , so young , losing her mother so young. Like her dead grandfather , at her grandfather's birth on the colony brought death to his mother.  
  
Prince William is offered the chance to walk to her coffin first. He walks forward , and takes a breath. Looking down into her pale face brought too many memories to his eyes. Looking at her , holding one long stemed white rose to her chest , and a silver tiara on her brow , with one big heart shaped ruby on the front. Prince William's eyes flicker to her face , and sees her in his mind , opening her eyes to him so many times.Gently , reaching out with a shaken hand , brushes a stray hair from her face. He immediately looks away towards the back wall , feeling tears overwhelm him once more. He quickly walks away from the platform , his back to the coffin. Looking over his shoulder one last time , he runs out of the room. Out in the hall , the memories overcome him. He hears her whispered voice in his ear , even though she can't be there.  
  
"You are never alone," said her soft voice. He turned and saw the horrifying scene once more.  
  
***Flash back***  
  
"It's time for bed , Rei," Ruth said , smiling.  
  
"Aaawwww , but mommy!" Rei whined as she cuddled into her father's chest.  
  
"Now Rei..." she said raising an eyebrow in her 'do it now' look. Rei sniffled and looked at her with her best puppy eyes before getting off her father's lap and heading for her room.  
  
"I'll go tuck her in," Will said , standing up.  
  
"Thanks hun , I have some paper work to do anyways , tell her I love her," She said , standing up and entering the bedroom that she and her husband shared. Will walked into his daughter's room , seeing her sitting on her bed , waiting.  
  
"Where's mommy?" she questioned , Ruth usually put Rei to bed.  
  
"She's got some work to do for Grandma Relena and Grandpa Heero," He said pulling down the silk bed sheets. Rei jumped under and cuddled in. Will pulled the blankets up around her.  
  
"Mommy said that-"Will began.  
  
"She loves me , I know , why does she always say that?" Rei asked , sitting up.  
  
"Because you never-" Will began once more.  
  
"Know when you'll lose someone and they don't know that you love them , really why?" Rei questioned , taking Will's hands in her tiny ones and staring at him with her sapphire blue eyes.  
  
"She's right," Will said , smoothing down Rei's golden hair.  
  
"But we're never going to lose mommy!" Rei said , smiling. Suddenly a scream errupted from the other room. That was Ruth's scream.  
  
(a/n~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ First of all , I CAN'T SPACE THE DAMN PARAGRAPHS!!!! Because my computer is very old and my word pad thing doesn't work that way!!!You all keep saying that and I forgot to explain. Disclaimer: I don't own "King Heero" or "Queen Relena" (*giggle*) And if you're gonna use my characters , ASK. People , this is a sequel to Queen Of Hearts and leads up to Queen Of Spades sooner or later. This will probably be a short story so don't mind it. I was listening to the song 'Desert Rose' during the writing of this , hence the name. Yes , Rei is named after Sailor Mars. The Anime Music video I saw where she dies in the eternal series brought me to tears. Read more! I dare ya!  
  
Revised~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
At the request of a dear reviewer , now that I can do paragraphs , I am doing the old chapters so old reviews might be erased by accident.  
  
September 8 , 2003 ~Kitahoshi 


	2. What happened that fateful night

Will almost panicked , but quickly lifted Rei from her bed and placed her in the closet .  
  
"Be quiet until I come back and DON'T come out!" Will said , closing the door with Rei secured at the back of the closet , shielded by dresses. Will sprinted out to the living room , but no one was there. In the bedroom , there was a man in black with a black rose on his shirt holding a bag that was squirming and screaming. He was fast , Will couldn't catch him. Before he climbed out the window , he smiled and said:  
  
"Say hello to Rei and good bye from her mommy,". Will grabbed out one second too late. His eyes went wide and dialated as he too got ready to jump out.  
  
"Mommy!" screamed a voice behind him. Rei was kneeling , holding a limp teddy bear to her chest , her blonde hair astray. Tears were running down her face. Will turned around , and Rei screamed. This wasn't her daddy! His eyes slowly returned to normal , and Rei sat still on the carpet. Will fell to his knees in exasperation. She walked up to him and hugged him.  
  
"It'll be alright Daddy , Mommy will come back to us.I know she will," she said , the moonlight from the open window shining on Rei. Will slowly looked up , and saw a tiny angel before him , almost seeming exactly like her mother , only Golden hair to her shoulders , tied in a bow at the back.  
  
"You're right , now it's time for you to go to bed now," Will said , smiling at his little angel , although his entire being weeped for his first angel's absence. When Ruth worked late , she would stand there afterwards in the light of the moon , and she too had looked like an angel. Taking Rei's hand he walked back to her room and tucked her in once more.  
  
"Tell me a story , like Mommy always did," Rei said looking at him.  
  
"Imagine what your mommy is doing to the bad guys and when she'll come back , Daddy is too tired to tell a story," Will said , smiling.  
  
"Okay! She's probably kicking their butts right now! And she'll be back at breakfast to make the food!" Rei said , licking her lips. Little did she know her Mommy wouldn't come back for breakfast tomorrow , or the next day , or the next. As Will walked out of her room , he sat against Rei's closed door , in case they came back.He was glad she couldn't see how much older he looked as he sighed and stared at the ground. He quickly took out the phone from his pocket (cell phone) and called all the authorities- after he called his father-in-law , Heero Yuy.  
  
(a/n)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
You get the picture. I don't own , you don't sue.That's all... buh-bye!  
  
revised~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
wow...this chapter is REALLY short...  
  
September 8, 2003 


	3. The morning always hurts

Rei opened her bright sapphire eyes and waited to smell pancakes from the kitchen. After ten minutes she became impatient and decided to surprise her mommy. Opening the door a crack , she saw her father sitting there , his eyelids closed and dark shadows looming under his eyes.  
  
She smiled , then tip-toed through the crack and quietly to the kitchen door. When she opened it wide and gasped in surprise at what she thought to be her mother's return , there was no one there. Her stomach grumbled in disappointment and she decided to check mommy's room. No one there. On the floor near the window was something golden and sparkling. It was a tiny necklace with a ruby heart and little latches on the side. Opening the heart , inside were two pearl earrings. Rei gasped , and smiled as though waiting for her mother to pop out of the closet.  
  
"Mommy must have been here already and left me a present!," Rei said , putting on the necklace , putting the earrings back in. She quickly tucked it under her night shirt , and ran out to wake up her father.  
  
"Daddy! Daddy! It's morning!" she cried in delight. He slowly opened his weary eyes and smiled at her.  
  
"No it's not," Will replied.  
  
"Yes it is!" Rei replied , putting her hands on her hips. A piece of paper loomed in his shirt pocket , and Rei reached out curiously. Will grabbed her hand and looked in her eyes seriously. She blinked , and moved away , running into the back yard. That look.... had been one she had never seen before on his face. It had surprised her. It had upset her that her caring sweet Daddy wouldn't let her have something that was so curious looking.  
  
Sitting on the swing set , she began to swing , thinking about her mother. Will was inside , and looked out at his daughter , swinging on her play set. Moving into the kitchen and began to prepare breakfast.  
  
Suddenly a knock at the door. Will sighed and walked up to open it. The first thing he saw was a pleasent sight , Craig Barton , his best friend. Craig reached out and rested his hand on Will's shoulder , with understanding eyes.Beside him stood his wife , Megan , daughter of the great Duo.In her blue eyes were tears , dripping over her smile and pale face.  
  
"Where's the little munchkin?" She said , sounding almost enthusiastic for one moment.  
  
"Rei is in the back," Will said , watching Megan remove a kleenex from her purse and wiping away the tears on her pale face. She walked slowly to the back door.  
  
"How is Megan taking it?"Will said , realizing he wasn't the only one affected by her absence.  
  
"Not well I'm afraid , " Craig said , sighing as Will gestured for him to come in. Craig helped him cook breakfast while Megan watched Rei in the backyard. If only they knew what was going on in the plotter's HQ... (a/n)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Same deal , and yes , all these chappies were posted at the same time because my internet was messed up so I wrote , but couldn't post. I don't own the character's owned by bandai! Go away!  
  
revised~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ wow....I've been REALLY stingy with chapters lately... 


	4. Transitions

Princess Ruth slowly opened her eyes.She felt as though someone had cracked her head open and she had a pounding head ache.She groaned.  
  
"Ohhhh....where am I?"she asked quietly , her vision beginning to focus.Suddenly the night before came punding into her head. Looking around , she was sitting in a dark room , tied to a chair under a spotlight.  
  
"So you're finally awake , your highness...."drawled a voice from the dark.  
  
"Who's there?!" she cried , looking around.But with the bright spotlight on her , it was impossible to see any shadows in the dark.  
  
"We'd like you to answer a few questions..."the voice spoke again , in the same malicious tone.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Rei , for now you're going to live with your grandparents.Are you okay with that?"Megan spoke slowly , and tried to break the news softly.  
  
"NO!I WANT TO SEE MY MOMMY!" Rei squealed.  
  
"You are going to see your mommy soon Rei.You'rejust going to stay with grandma and grandpa until mommy comes back," Megan spoke soothingly.Rei seemed to take on an expression of hard thought for a moment.  
  
"Well , I guess that's okay until mommy gets back.Grandma always spoils me!"she said gleefully , smiling.  
  
When they reached outside of the gate in their car , it seemed a sea of swarming reporters were waiting for a statement.They continued to drive through and Megan held a stern face as they tried to catch her attention. She had asked Rei to stay on the other side of the limo so that they wouldn't see her through the tinted windows.Before Megan could roll up her window she heard many questions launched.  
  
"Mrs.Barton!We'd like a statement please!Just a moment of your time!"they all cried out. She smiled a quirky grin once she had the window up.  
  
'"Just a moment" my butt' she thought.  
  
"Auntie Meggy?"Rei suddenly spoke.  
  
"Yes?" she said , looking up at Rei's innocent blue eyes.  
  
"The last few days have gone by fast , didn't they?"Rei said.  
  
"The have," she chuckled. "But time flies when you're having fun and we HAVE had some fun together since Uncle Craig and I slept over for three nights,".  
  
"yes!"she replied cheerily."Auntie Meggy , what do you remember about my mommy when she was my age?".  
  
"Well....she had brown hair put up into two braids just like your's and she had big round hazel eyes.And she loved to go on adventures.I remember a lot of times that grandpa Heero would blame me as a bad influence," Megan said , smiling at the memory of old times.  
  
"But I thought that your daddy and grandpa were best friends!" Rei protested.  
  
"They were," Megan chuckled."But that doesn't mean that my father wasn't a prankster,".Megan bursted into laughs at this , and left Rei puzzled.  
  
"Mrs.Barton , we have arrived,"the driver spoke , interrupting her laugh.She instantly stopped and a serious expression came over her face.When she looked like that , she seemed like the successful business woman she was. Her tight business outfit and burgandy tie with her long dangling gold chain earrings she was revealed as the famous Mrs.Barton of Barton corp.  
  
The both of them stepped out of the limo , Megan taking Rei's hand and walking out towards the doors of the mansion where Ruth grew up.She was just about to knock when the door opened.Relena had swung the door open and had a stricken look on her face.  
  
"I have Rei here , your highness,"Megan said in her strictly professional voice and poker face.  
  
a/n~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
ahhhhhhh....well...you see I haven't had all summer to write and I had writer's block for a while so....DON'T KILL ME!!!!!!  
  
DISCLAIMER:I don't own Heero or Relena.ARE YOU HAPPY?! Bandai guy: extemely. 


	5. A family torn

Relena kept to herself a lot more. Many reporters remarked that the "sparkle in her eye" had seemed to disappear as suddenly as her daughter.

"Grandma!" Rei said, seeing the return of Relena through the window. Rei ran to the door to greet her grandmother, whose blonde hair was now lined with silver. Heero didn't seem to be taking it too badly in the public light, however it was only of late he had been sparring furiously as if he was angry at his son-in-law. Rei never saw her father much anymore, he only visited once a week and was gone away most of the time helping with the investigation. Rei, who had a cheery disposition until that evening of the third week looked at her grandmother. The small girl was smiling, but there were tears streaming down her face.

"What's the matter, sweety?" Relena asked, taking the little girl into her arms.

"Nothing at all Grandma!" she replied, wiping away the tears. Relena didn't push further into it.

She had too many problems of her own to know what to tell Rei. The family hadn't received a ransom yet, and as much as they hoped they knew that it was possible she was dead.

* * *

Ruth coughed hard, feeling as though she were about to cough up her lungs. They never untied her, so she was given water sometimes but they poured it into her mouth whether she needed to breathe or not. And if she refused? She didn't know when her next meal would be. Sitting in the light, she thought of how proud she should be, not telling them anything. But all she could think of was her immediate hunger and need for a hope. Limited social contact had left her without words- what is it that she could say? She had long given up talking to the darkness. All she could think of was hunger. She couldn't remember anything else. She knew she was getting thinner and sickly pale, well she just assumed it anyway. It was hard to see anything surrounded by darkness.

"Ugh..." she groaned, reaching out for something. Anything that would make her hold on.

"Good morning princess..." said the malicious voice, as a person approached her. They sounded angry, desperate. A hand was placed delicately on her cheek, and she knew it was a horrible touch- but it had been so long. Then an image came to mind.

_"Congratulations Mrs.Winner, it's a girl." said her midwife, holding a little cloth bundle. While Will was looking positively pale in the back of the room. Ruth smiled, though she was exhausted she felt a wonderful feeling come over her. They were all a family. Ruth held the baby, looking down into the face of her child for the first time and tears began to stream from her hazel eyes. Will cautiously walked up with a look of remorse._

_"I promise I will never ever let this happen again." He said, the sights of birth and hours of labour still fresh in his mind. Ruth smiled childishly before laughing really hard. "...what?"._

_"Isn't she worth it all?" Ruth said, slowly unclasping the newborn and giving her to him. His eyes widened, and, for a moment he was completely content._

_"Yeah." he said, holding the child tenderly._

_"We'll call her Rei." Ruth said. "And she won't be the last!She definitely needs a sibling!"._

_Will looked up in surprise._

_"Another one?" he questioned, wondering how she could talk about it so openly. She nodded eagerly._

_"Lots more!" ._

"Rei... " Ruth groaned, turning her head away from her captor. "We'll call her Rei." She smiled weakly, reliving the feeling.

"If you want to see your little girl again, you had better answer this time." her captor said angrily.

"Lots more!" Ruth responded, so weak that she was beginning to be dillusional. He slapped her roughly, but even that wouldn't bring her focus back to him. He was grinding his teeth, plotting more inexplicable tortures in his mind when a doctor walked forward. He took her pulse silently. He looked at his emloyer without emotion.

"You did too much. She may be phsychologically gone forever. You'll have to let her revive first before you can expect her to even know what you're talking about." the doctor reported.

"I see." he said, exasperated. Letting out a breath, she shook his shadowed face. "Relocate her to one of the finest rooms in my estate and revive her. Call me if there are any changes."

* * *

Rei sat solemnly in her room quietly, not speaking. Will walked in, with empty eyes and a broken soul. He had stopped working on the case for a while, they told him he was too emotionally fragile to be of any use. But he still couldn't return to his home. He could barely look at his own daughter. She looked just like her mother- and even that was painful to him.

"What's the matter?" he asked her. She was usually so happy to see him. She looked up at him, holding a teddy bear tightly to her chest, tears streaming from her eyes.

"Mommy isn't coming back, is she?" she asked. Will didn't answer. He couldn't even pretend anymore. Rei threw the teddy bear across the room, screaming loudly. "I don't care anymore! I don't care if she ever comes back!". Will, unangry yet affected by the words was silent.

"I see." he said, walking out of her room. Rei looked up, and at the stranger leaving her room.

She felt sadder than she had ever fathomed in that moment. She didn't know why at the time, but she threw herself onto her bed crying desperately. Uncertain to the cause and yet so overwhelmed by the feeling. It wasn't until later she knew why. That was the last time her father was to visit her at her grandparent's house. Every week she would wait for him, but he never came.

No one really knew where he was at that point. He seemed to be hiding away outside of the country, forgetting all the things that he had loved so much. But nothing could make him forget her face, her smile, her voice, her lips... he was completely devoured by his sorrow.

* * *

A/N

Um, well, it's angsty. I wrote this to the music of : "Love Story" and "Erlkonig".


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